A man accused of hacking EBay, E-Trade and other companies has been thrown in jail after employing a string of bizarre tactics at a routine hearing in San Jose federal court.

Jerome Heckenkamp, 22, claimed in a Monday court appearance that the person charged must not be him because the government complaint wrote his name in all capital letters. Heckenkamp argued that he capitalizes only the first letter of his first and last names, said Ross Nadel, the assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the case in the Northern District of California.

Heckenkamp also tried to testify to the charges he faces even though the proceeding was only a hearing to set future appearance dates, Nadel said.

Heckenkamp is representing himself after firing attorney Jennifer S. Granick last week. He could not be reached for comment.

When Judge James Ware informed him that Nadel represented the United States,

"He complained that I had not brought my client with me," Nadel said.

"Ultimately Judge Ware found that based on his conduct and his statements, that he was a danger to himself and others and a flight risk, and remanded him into custody," Nadel said.

Heckenkamp's trial hasn't even started yet, but his case has already raised eyebrows. Since being indicted on 15 counts of hacking and one count of witness tampering last year, Heckenkamp has fired and rehired Granick several times.

After being out on $50,000 bond, he returned to jail for two weeks in January when a friend needed the bond money back.

"I wish him the best. I hope the prosecutor and the court can ensure that he gets a fair trial despite his lack of legal education," said Granick, who also serves as clinical director at Stanford's Center for Internet and Society.

Heckenkamp is next scheduled to appear in court April 8. He is charged with breaking into computers at EBay, E-Trade, Exodus, Juniper Networks, Lycos and Cygnus Support Solutions and of causing more than $5,000 damage to each company.

He's also charged with intercepting electronic communications from the same companies and with trying to persuade a witness to withhold testimony.

The alleged hacking occurred in 1999, when Heckenkamp was a teen prodigy about to complete his master's degree in computer science at the University of Wisconsin. Each of the 15 hacking charges against him carries a maximum sentence of five years and a fine of up to $250,000. The witness-tampering charge carries a 10-year maximum sentence and a $250,000 fine.

Heckenkamp is also charged with breaking into Qualcomm's computers in San Diego. He is scheduled to go on trial for that case April 23 in San Diego.